Diving
Bilene
The lesser-known Mozambican diving destination
If you were to ask the diving
community what the most
popular diving spots in
Mozambique are, you can
expect to hear the common
names of Ponta do Ouro,
Ponta Malongane, Inhambane,
Bazaruto, and Pemba. But
there is another gem of a
diving location not too far
from Maputo, a destination
that is an absolute must for
both divers and non-divers,
and that is the breathtaking
area of Bilene.

Bilene is located approximately 180 km north of Maputo, making it
one of the closest Mozambican resorts to Johannesburg. Known by
the locals as Praia do Bilene, it is a small town adjacent to a massive
salt water lagoon flowing into the Indian Ocean. The lagoon is called
Uembje, and is blessed with picture-perfect white, sandy beaches,
calm waters and spectacular views. This lagoon destination is actually
known as a beach resort. The lagoon itself is a dream playground for
water sport fanatics and is perfect for swimming, kayaking, sailing, jet
skis, fishing, snorkelling and of course diving - both in the lagoon and
ocean. Scattered sparingly along the beach of the lagoon are various
resorts catering for all types of accommodation, from backpackers to
more luxurious resorts. Uembje is rumoured to be roughly 27 km long
and 8 km wide, hence there is more than enough space between these
minor resorts to ensure a distinct sense of privacy and solitude. And
if your intention is to rest and break away from the craziness of the
rat race, this is definitely a place you would want to be. My intention
behind going to Bilene was indeed to get away from that very same
rat race, and do as much diving as possible and as little as possible of
anything else.ď&#x20AC;´

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure â&#x20AC;˘ 55

To dive at Bilene you really only have one option, and that is to go
through the Palmeiras Water Sport Centre, situated at the Palmeiras
Resort. This is currently the only dive operation running in Bilene, which
is well managed by a very pleasant and humorous French character
named Daniel. The diving operation is further supported and co-owned
by Divetek. Besides diving, the centre has a variety of items for hire to
choose from including kayaks, underwater scooters, snorkelling gear,
paddle boards, and mini sailboats.
But enough about the location - although I could go on and on J and let me tell you about the diving. You are spoilt for choice when
it comes to diving in the lagoon and ocean. The lagoon offers two
artificial reefs called ‘Lego Land’ and ‘The Graveyard’, as well as
snorkelling at a reef within the lagoon. Both artificial reefs are relatively
new, and the remaining fish of the lagoon have concentrated within
the relative safety of these structures to protect themselves from the
local fisherman, who sadly overfish the lagoon. The viz is surprisingly
good in the lagoon, that is if you don’t kick up the silt at the bottom,
then the viz quickly resembles Bass Lake. If you like free diving then
you can have a lot of fun at these lagoon sites. On two occasions I
took my kayak and paddled to Lego Land and free dived amongst the
scuba divers. The Graveyard site is made up of actual tombstone-like
concrete structures that have been inscribed with personal phrases
from divers. The novelty of this dive site is that you can buy your own
tombstone and inscribe it with whatever you please at a minimal fee.
The tombstone will then be added to the graveyard and forms part of
the dive site. This dive spot makes for a particularly eerie yet unique
night dive.

The reef of the lagoon hosts a large variety of
creatures including lionfish, honeycomb eels,
pipefish, boxfish, pencil eels and scorpionfish,
to mention a few. But the real rock stars of
the lagoon are the seahorses! These amazing
creatures were once flourishing in the lagoon,
but sadly their numbers have drastically
dropped in the last year alone. The local
fishermen use nets that mercilessly scoop up
every creature in their path, and then simply
discard the creatures they can’t sell.

Daniel is desperately trying
to raise awareness of the dire
seahorse situation and is looking
for a Marine Biology student who
is willing to do a study on the
declining seahorse population
to get them on the endangered/
protected species list.
The seahorses in this area are the Hippo­
campus Camelopardalis (for more info go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe_seahorse),
and anyone who would like to assist in this
cause is urged to please contact Daniel.

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 57

Right ... with my call for aid out of the way, let’s get back
to the diving J. If you are looking for a bit of adventure in
your diving, the ocean dives at Bilene are a must! The reef
and rock formations in this area are astounding! Massive
boulders, deep gullies and overhangs are everywhere
and covered with healthy coral, which means there is
an abundance of marine life and colours that flood your
visual senses. Most of the reefs here are untouched,
compared to other popular dive sites, and some have not
even been dived or named yet. The area is rather prone
to strong surges and currents, but then that just adds
to the adventurous nature of the dives. They also offer
‘Big Blue’ dives, where divers are dropped to a depth
of 15 m and suspended next to a guideline running from
the boat. This creates a unique platform to view some of
the larger marine species, and whales, dolphins, sharks
and mantas have been seen on these Big Blue dives.
The only limiting factor of the ocean dives is the fact that
exiting through the mouth of the lagoon is dependent
on high tide and the general conditions at the mouth.
To compensate for this during rougher conditions, they
offer back-to-back dives that enable you to have two
dives without having to go through the mouth in-between
dives. In short these dives are not your average dives,
they are a bit more adventurous, but oh so worth it and
highly recommended!
Bilene has something for everyone. Whether you want to
dive and indulge in all the water sports on offer, get a feel
for the local culture at the market, read a book and work
on your tan, or daydream in your hammock while sipping
on a Tipi Tinto and raspberry, you will find it there.

So if I have managed to convince you to
visit this wonderful place, be sure to
stop by the Palmeiras Resort and go
diving with Daniel and the Divetek team,
or just stop by to say hEllo. •
58 • DO IT NOW Magazine October | November 2012

DINfo box i
More details on diving Bilene:
Costs:
• R800 accommodation for four people in a chalet
• R350 for a dive on the outside reefs (ocean dives)
• R280 for a dive at The Graveyard (artificial reef
inside the lagoon)
• R250 for a dive at Lego Land (artificial reef inside
the lagoon)
• R650 for a double-tank dive on the outside reefs
(ocean dives)
• R500 for a dive on a whale expedition (big blue)
• R350 for a non-diver on a whale expedition

ComE and join ThE divETEk advEnTurE CLub.
We do all the organisation and a team leader will be
present at every activity/event. so try new things. meet
new people and it is aLL PLannEd for you. all you have to
do is join in on the fun. don’t miss out and contact us today!

DO IT NOW Magazine, Underwater. If you were to ask the diving community what the most popular diving spots in Mozambique are, you can expect to hear the common names of Ponta do Ouro, Ponta Malongane, Inhambane, Bazaruto, and Pemba. But there is another gem of a diving location not too far from Maputo, a destination that is an absolute must for both divers and non-divers, and that is the breathtaking area of Bilene.